CONSPIRACY: THE THIRD WORLD

Chapter One│Fix You

©APOORVA2015

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Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

                                              ---Chapter One---

The air was thin.

She walked on the soft unmetalled road clearly hearing the rustling of the leaves of the mammoth trees. The beam of street lamps was barely luminous enough to distinguish between real and illusion; between the things that were and the things running through her mind and the waning crescent moon was not providing much light either. She loved the scene of a busy street because it felt lively with the human pulse and active heartbeats. The gloomy streets, like this one, was appalling because they made her uncomfortable in a mysterious way, as if there was something dark associated with it that disturbed her, mocked her. A dark place is an evil's paradise, He told her once, and bright ones are the residence of angels. She believed Him.

But then she was not alone. She could very plainly hear heavy tread behind her. As it was, they were probably friends from different places going to the foyer for the meeting. She was not bothered enough to turn back and see for herself, rather, she slowed down so they could pass her by.

Yes, they were friends. Friends, she knew nothing about and who knew nothing about her either but, who would help her when it was time. They were not only friends but family which was supposed to be her only priority as she was theirs. They were family that loved each other unconditionally and whole-heartedly; they were people who did not even know that she existed but who would fight for her against threatening and insensible humans. She smiled at her own thought.

Years before, when she was discovered, she had felt like she died every night and was born again in the morning. But tonight, she was alive with an enthusiasm that was hard to contain. She indiscreetly touched her round hollow pendent that He had given five years back, coiling the chain around her finger, then letting it go. Lost in herself, just when she was about to turn right someone tapped her shoulder from behind. She turned around startled.

She stared blankly as the stranger drew himself closer, gazing straight at him. The light was ebbing, and so half-seeing his face she failed to draw a recognized mental image. She adjusted her dark, rimmed glasses.

"How's my favorite girl?" the stranger asked, his voice husky

The voice seemed familiar; she tried to search his eyes.

"Good heavens, Ved?" she squealed

"That's me!" he replied, hugging her.

Ved was a wheatish-complexioned man, with raven black hair gelled up in latest fashion. He was fun loving, and had weird obsessions. He was six feet tall against her 5'3" short stature, was muscular and had hazel brown eyes. They had been friends for past three years, since bumping into each other in the market in Nanital, then later attending the meetings like they were doing today.

They always joked about something important, would try reading a book up-side down, cried at the end of romantic movies, and made wishes on birthday candles, three-leaved clovers and shooting stars. But even though they both lived in Uttrakhand, they lost contact when he moved to Almora and she stayed in Dehradun.

"How have you been?" she asked

"Great, like always," he smiled, picking a strand of her loose hair, "But I wonder if you ever go to the hair-dresser; because you certainly should."